Spinal surgery is sometimes necessary for a number of reasons including to repair disks, to fuse vertebrates, relieve pressure on the spinal cord caused by bone growth or bulging disks, and nervous system repair. Spinal surgery is complicated and requires that a patient be secured in a manner that will prevent the patient's movement in order to improve surgical success and avoid accidental injury to the patient's spine and nervous system caused by blades, tools or laser beams.
Cervical spine surgery is generally performed to treat nerve/spinal cord impingement (via decompression surgery) and/or spinal instability (via fusion surgery). The two procedures are often combined, as decompression may destabilize the spine and create the need for a fusion to add stability. Spinal instrumentation, such as the installation of a small plate over vertebrates, can also be used to help add stability to the spinal construct. Spinal surgery in the neck area of a patient is considered one of the most complicated and difficult spinal procedures. Complication exists because the patient's neck must be supported in a manner that will lift and arch the spine to thereby spread the vertebrates so that surgery can be performed. Presently, a patient's head is typically supported underneath the neck by a rolled towel and the patient's head is secured to the operating table with adhesive tape or straps. Such a makeshift manner of supporting a patient's neck in an arch while securing the patient's head is not effective and can result in risk to the patient as surgery is performed. Furthermore, fluids and blood can be absorbed by the neck-supporting towel, which is messy and can present a risk of infection. What is needed is a better system that can accomplish neck support and head restraint during surgery.